Language Variation

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Language Variation Some examples l Right before starting second grade, Pauline and Lenore, moved from the Bronx to Bayside, Queens …

l When Pauline and Lenore were around 8, they went away to camp and Pauline got sick….

Comparing the two examples l Both differences in lexicon or vocabulary l How are they different? Some factors involved in studying language variation l How does language change?

l Why does language change?

l People often – are aware of aspects of language variation. – have strong emotional commitments to one view or another.

What’s a dialect? l Dialects: varieties of languages that systematically differ from each other – Dialects differ on many levels: phonological, syntactic, lexical, etc. – The term dialect is sometimes used negatively. So linguists often use the term variety.

Who speaks a dialect? l Everyone speaks a dialect.

l Some dialects have more sociolinguistic prestige than others.

l There may be a standard dialect. Other dialects: non-standard dialects. – All dialects (standard and non-standard) are structured and rule-governed.

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Dialect vs. languagel No clear cut distinction between a language and a dialect. l One factor: mutual intelligibility l Choice of terminology is often influenced by socio-political factors. l E.g., American English vs. British English and Dutch vs. Afrikaans.

l Phonological: different phonological contrasts – Some varieties of British English: /U/ vs. wedge l All have /U/ in good, put. But contrast lost in cup, but, flood.

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l Morphological: different morphemes or different use of morphemes – Appalachian English: a- prefixl We went a-hunting.

l Morphological: different morphemes or different use of morphemes – Some varieties of British English: -s not just 3rd singular present tense, but generalized to all present tense forms: he goes, but also I goes, you goes, we goes, they goes

l Syntactic: whole syntactic constructions used differently – Many American dialects (especially Southern): l done used as AUX. She done told you.l right as an adverb. A right good meal.

l Syntactic: whole syntactic constructions used differently – Many American dialects (including some Ohio dialects): l needs selects a past participle rather than a passive infinitive – The car needs washed. – The car needs to be washed. What differences are you aware of in your own speech and in the speech of others?

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Document Outline

Language Variation

Some examples

ÿ

Comparing the two examples

Both differences in lexicon or vocabulary

How are they different?

Some factors involved in studying language variation

How does language change?

Why does language change?

People often

are aware of aspects of language variation.

have strong emotional commitments to one view or another.

Dialects: varieties of languages that systematically differ from each other